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Baked potatoes are the perfect side: They work with practically any main, from lowbrow Sloppy Joes to highbrow Sirloin Steak. But if you’re wondering if you can I make a baked potato in the air fryer, the answer is you bet! And if you own an air fryer, you want to put that appliance to use. Let’s see what those air fryers can do, right? 

So, why would you use an air fryer to bake a potato? In fact, there are a few reasons one might want to do such a thing. It’s a nice option if you don’t want to heat up the oven, for one; also, when your oven is full of other foods, you might need an alternative way of cooking those spuds. If you are a person who likes crispy potato skins on your baked potatoes, that is another reason right there. Plus, they only take about 40 minutes, which is less time than they would take in the oven. Turns out, you can get a Perfect Baked Potato in the oven or via the air fryer.

Cooked potatoes in an air fryer.

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes: All you need to know to make perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned baked potatoes in the air fryer.

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Ingredients

Whole potatoes, oil, and salt on white marble table.
  • Russet potatoes – I love baked russet potatoes. This variety of potato is particularly starchy, with white skin. They’re also very good to make into mashed potatoes.
  • Olive oil – I thought these potatoes crisped up really nicely, especially with a light (light!) coating of oil and salt. Don’t overdo it on the oil!
  • Salt – To taste.
Air-fried baked potato on green leaf plate

How to Cook a Baked Potato in an Air Fryer

  1. Stab your potatoes: Prick the potatoes in a few spots with a fork.
  2. Coat potatoes in oil and salt: Rub the potatoes with oil, then rub them with salt, coating them evenly on all sides.
Woman piercing and salting whole potatoes.
  1. Put potatoes in the air fryer: Place the potatoes in the air fryer. However many potatoes you are cooking, make sure they don’t touch.
Placing whole potatoes into air fryer.
  1. Start the air fryer: Set the air fryer to 400 degrees and cook them for about 40 minutes, turning them as needed about halfway through as they start to brown on the top. Sometimes air fryers have a baked potato setting, and you can go for that, though test them after to make sure they are done (see below).
Baked Potatoes in air fryer.
  1. Test to see if they’re done: When a fork or a knife slides in easily, they are done.
Woman cutting into an air-fried baked potato with a knife to check for doneness.
  1. Serve. Cut them lengthwise down the top, squeeze to open them up, fluff up a bit with a fork, and top as you like. You can never go wrong with a pat of butter and some sour cream.
Woman opening cut Air Fryer Baked Potato.

FAQs

Should you pierce your potatoes before cooking?

I did some research on whether or not you needed to pierce or stab potatoes before air-frying them, and it was inconclusive. What I concluded, however, was that there seemed to be no harm in doing it, and for any of us who have cleaned up an oven or a microwave after an unpierced potato has exploded, it seemed like erring on the side of caution was a good move.

How many air fryer baked potatoes can you make at one time?

You can make as many potatoes as will fit in an air fryer at one time. Just don’t crowd them — there needs to be space between them for the air to circulate. This depends on the size of your air fryer. The cooking time may be longer if there are more potatoes.

Is it better to air-fry potatoes or bake them?

If you air fry your potatoes, you’ll cut down on cooking time. The air fryer will also use less energy than heating up your entire oven. You can also get your spuds a bit crispier in the air fryer if that’s something that you like.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Grilled Mexican Rib-Eye Steaks

Creamed Spinach Stuffed Chicken Thighs

Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Dill Sauce

More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes

Freshly cooked air-fried baked potato with butter and herbs on green leaf-designed plate.

More Potato Recipes You Need to Try

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Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 42 minutes
Servings: 4 people
All you need to know to make perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned baked potatoes in the air fryer.

Equipment

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Prick the potatoes in a few spots with a fork. Rub the potatoes with the oil, then rub them with the salt, coating them evenly on all sides. Place them in the air fryer. Make sure the potatoes don’t touch.
  • Set the air fryer to 400 F and cook them for about 40 minutes, turning them as needed about halfway through as they start to brown on the top. When a fork or a knife slides in easily, they are done.
  • Cut them lengthwise down the top, always halfway into the potato, give them a little squeeze to open them up, and top with your favorite toppings!

Notes

I did some research on whether or not you needed to pierce or stab potatoes before air-frying them, and it was inconclusive. What I concluded, however, was that there seemed to be no harm in doing it, and for any of us who have cleaned up an oven or a microwave after an unpierced potato has exploded, it seemed like erring on the side of caution was a good move.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 301mg, Potassium: 888mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Comments

  1. We live on a planet with finite resources. Pop the potatoes in an instant pot for 10 minutes or boil them in water and then just crisp them up in the airfryer.

  2. as I said before I placed the baked potato in the air fryer as you suggested pierced it oiled it salted it padded it baby. Everything Windows to a baked potato checked it after 35 minutes nothing hard as a rock checked it again minutes later hard as a rock 20 minutes later hard as a rock but the time I ate it was at least an hour and a half that’s what it took for the damn potato to cook but it was Sherry yummy smothered in butter yum yum yum

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